With words, Bill O’Brien tears down, builds up Texans

Bill O’Brien is the third head coach in Texans’ history. (Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle)

Bill O’Brien has been a Texan for five months. He has overhauled the coaching staff, turned an unyielding belief of team-first into a rebuilding squad’s 2014 mantra, endured Johnny Manziel-mania to emerge from the draft with Jadeveon Clowney and Tom Savage, and based the Texans’ intriguing upcoming season around an old-school defense and an unpredictable veteran quarterback.

O’Brien accomplished this while significantly changing the culture of a franchise long accustomed to the temptation of promise and denial of fulfillment.

The biggest takeaways from O’Brien Stage One as the Texans enter their third era since their 2002 inception: He is not Bill Belichick. He’s a world removed from Gary Kubiak. He is most definitely his own man.

“He doesn’t beat around the bush,” Pro Bowl left tackle Duane Brown said. “He’s going to tell you straight up what he thinks is wrong. The way he delivers it, you’re going to have to have some tough skin. But we all know it’s with good intentions …